The present invention relates to a layout display control system for a document processing apparatus, and more particularly to a layout display control system which simultaneously displays the layout of document data and format information therefor.
English word processors generally have a display for displaying a plurality of lines and also incorporate many functions to facilitate inputting and editing document data. Particularly, some word processors which have become available recently have a document layout display function for displaying the arrangements of characters of document data for each page in the form of arrangements of dots or line segments upon converting each line of the characters to dot trains or a line segment.
To display the layout of the document data using the layout display function, a "layout" key is pressed to select a layout display mode and erase the document data having been displayed on a display. Thereafter, a rectangular layout display area indicative of a printing area appears in the display on the basis of format information regarding a printing format that has been inputted in advance in association with the document data, and then the layout of the page of the document pointed out by a cursor is displayed in the layout display area. The format information includes such items as "top margin" to be reserved from the upper edge of a sheet of print paper to a print start position of the document data, "print line numbers" to be included in each page, "bottom margin" to be reserved from the last print position in each page to the lower edge of the sheet of print paper, and other line directional items. Each item is represented by the number of lines or numerals.
The layout of a next page of document data or the layout of a previous page of document data is individually displayed when a "next page" key or a "previous page" key is pressed.
In the above-described word processors having a layout display function in which the layout of the document data is displayed in the layout display area based on the format information in association with the document data, a printed image of the document data cannot be grasped definitely with only the layout display. To print the document data on print paper of a particular size in well balanced condition, the operator may want to change the "top margin", "bottom margin" or "print line numbers". However, determination of the amounts of changes of those items is impossible for the operator, since the layout of the document is only displayed.
One solution for such problems is to make a memoranda of the format information of the document data prior to executing the layout function. However, this solution is involved with problems such that a troublesome preparatory procedure needs to be taken, and hence time is wasted because the format information needs to be displayed and the operator needs to make a memo each time the layout display is carried out.